The Hague, 16 January 1998

Seventy-nine potential chemical weapons inspectors, coming from thirty-seven countries worldwide, gathered today at the Netherlands Defence College in Ypenburg for the official opening of an exclusive and intensive training programme which will qualify them to become integral part of the OPCW's inspectorate.

Joris Voorhoeve, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, José M. Bustani, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and Major General Kees Homan, Director of the Netherlands Defence College addressed the participants to this training course which will be concluded in six months after extensive travelling to various institutions specialised in chemical weapons as well as in chemical industry, made available by States members of the OPCW.

"The OPCW must train and select highly qualified professionals coming from a broad range of Member States" - Bustani affirmed, stressing that : "It is essential to ensure that a competent body of inspectors is at our disposal to carry out OPCW's fundamental and complex operations. Together with declarations being submitted by States Parties to the OPCW, on-site inspections are the key to enabling Member States to demonstrate their commitment not to develop, produce, stockpile or use chemical weapons".

This is the second training course organised and conducted by the OPCW. The first training course organised last year resulted in the eventual recruitment of 122 inspectors and 4 inspection assistants. Up to 1,500 applications for this second training course were received and Bustani congratulated the 79 applicants who made it through the pre-selection. The trainees are specialists in chemical weapons and munitions, chemical production technology, chemical production logistics, medicine and emergency aid. Eventually, the OPCW is expected to employ 211 inspectors. With the present strength, the OPCW has conducted as of today 134 inspections in 22 countries.

The Dutch Minister of Defence, Joris Voorhoeve, remarked in his address at the training inaugural ceremony that : "It is time for those countries that have an obligation to destroy chemical weapons, to begin that process"; and added that "The Netherlands has expressed its willingness to assist Russia in the destruction of its vast chemical arsenal and 25 million guilders were made available".

Minister Voorhoeve expressed the hope that it would become a tradition to inaugurate OPCW's training in The Netherlands. The Dutch training facilities will play a central role in the entire programme which will also take place in China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The breakdown by nationality of this group of 79 trainees is as follows : Algeria (1), Argentina (2), Australia (2), Austria (1), Bangladesh (1), Belarus (1), Brazil (4), Canada (5), Chile (1), China (2), Croatia (1), Cuba (2), Czech Republic (5), Ethiopia (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (2), Hungary (1), India (4), Iran (1), Ireland (1), Japan (1), Netherlands (2), New Zealand (2), Pakistan (1), Poland (2), Republic of Korea (1), Romania (4), Russian Federation (4), Saudi Arabia (1), Slovak Republic (2), Slovenia (1), South Africa (2), United Kingdom (3), U.S.A. (10), Venezuela (1), Zimbabwe (2).

The breakdown by nationality of the 126 inspectors and inspection assistants already recruited and serving the OPCW, is as follows : Algeria (1), Argentina (2), Australia (2), Austria (2), Bangladesh (2), Belarus (2), Belgium (1), Brazil (4), Bulgaria (1), Canada (4), China (6), Côte d'Ivoire (2), Croatia (2), Cuba (1), Czech Republic (4), Ecuador (3), Finland (3), France (3), Germany (3), Hungary (1), India (13), Iran (6), Italy (2), Japan (2), Kenya (1), Mexico (2), Mongolia (1), Morocco (1), Nepal (1), Netherlands (5), New Zealand (3), Norway (1), Pakistan (1), Philippines (1), Poland (6), Republic of Korea (1), Romania (3), Russian Federation (7), Slovak Republic (1), South Africa (3), Spain (1), Sri Lanka (1), Sweden (1), Switzerland (2), Turkey (1), United Kingdom (4), U.S.A. (5), Zimbabwe (1).